human resilience explored in The Siege

I love it when a chance second hand book purchase offers an impressive surprise. The author, Helen Dunmore, is a prolific comtemporary English poet, who has also written short stories and chidren's books. This historical novel was inspired by her two years teaching English in Finnland. I was attracted to read about the Leningrad Siege, having visited this amazing city in summer, twenty years ago. The story begins in June, 1941, the summer before Hitler’s armies encircled Leningrad. There is a brief reconstruction of a northern Russian summer where the city people who can, visit their rural dacha's to enjoy the countryside. Soon, normal life is over, children are evacuated out of the city and adults work in building defences to obstruct the advancing Germans. The focus then shifts quickly to one family's struggle to survive the extremes of cold and hunger while the city is expected to starve into extinction. Anna assumes the maternal role for her younger brother, after her educated mother died in childbirth. She does not fully appreciate the writing talent of her dissident father, and cannot develop her artistic talents. But she works tirelessly to unite her father, his long term girlfriend, her younger brother and a medical student lover. The daily challenges to stay warm and spread the tiny bread ration are so extreme, yet believable. It is such confronting reading, but the message of hope is always there...how ordinary people can survive the many levels of forced destruction.

what a family in August:Osage County

It's always good to see a film that makes you appreciate your own rather-more-normal family. I must admit I was attracted to the star cast and having George Clooney as producer was not such a bad thing! The film August:Osage County grabbed my attention from the start, slowly and curiously. It was not long before I realised that this was no ordinary rural family. OK the vast emptiness of Oklahoma countryside was both captivating and concerning. Living in the middle of nowhere has its benefits and challenges. So I was impressed, again, with Meryl Streep's portrayal of the matriarch, Violet Weston. She was clearly recovering from chemotherapy for mouth cancer but her pill taking addiction looked like a more fun alternative than mere drunkenness. I liked the way her husband Beverley, played by Sam Shepard, described their marriage agreement; she took pills and he drank as much as he wanted! But then he ran away and took his own life in a local lake, perhaps to escape the drama that followed. So as the three sisters unite with their crazy and damaged mother, a tyrannical family drama develops through a chilling crescendo to a fairly predictable conclusion. Ultimately, I imagine most people can walk out, feeling frazzled, but with a new appreciation for their own simple family issues...

Mandela's very long Walk to Freedom

I was not ready for an emotional history lesson of the last century in South Africa. I considered myself somewhat educated about this part of modern world history, but that was barely enough to prepare me for this impressive documentary. Over 141 minutes, it chronicles Nelson Mandela's life journey from his rural childhood through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Idris Elba is totally convincing as Mandela, and while he was a stunning and talented young lawyer, his body language relaxed with age and as he acquired wisdom and patience. I was so impressed by the chemistry between Nelson and Winnie (Naomie Harris) and convinced by the way their long physical separation drove them apart emotionally and ideologically as the older Mandela had become more conciliatory while she remained staunchly radical, almost as if stuck in a time warp. Despite the massive historical lesson shared, I was inspired by Mandela's humanity, and amazed at the challenges his wives and children faced. I began to appreciate his transformation and ability to transform fear into forgiveness and a deeper, committed search for peace. Somehow I could see a similarity with my favourite role model, the Dalai Lama...

Insights from ...An Astronaut's guide to life on earth

Can't say I ever wanted to be an astronaut - I do have some sense of reality! So I was surprised to received a signed copy of Chris Hadfield's book “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” for Christmas, and to learn that he had been in Oxford signing books and engaging with those who bought them! I had enjoyed his Space Oddity youtube video, but had somehow been put off by his super clean American style moustache - although sorry to admit he is really the first Canadian astronaut, who has spent over four thousand hours in orbit, mostly on the International Space Station. Later I realised and enjoyed his short videos of the quirkiness of life in space. So I was very taken by his book - a combination of pure space education and life inspiration. It was a welcome contrast to the ever-so-common propaganda that you can vision anything and if you try hard enough you will realise your dreams, superficial rubbish. He emphasised the need to practice and prepare, even at the smallest level of detail. It seems that in space there are no second chances, so it must be absolutely correct the first time, and in fact, you must actively prepare for the long lists of what could possible go wrong. I am glad that in my life I don't have to drill to that detail, but recognise that it might be helpful if I prepare more positively for some of the big challenges ahead!

Stunning Cai Guo-Qiang Falls Back to Earth at GOMA

The reviews proclaim it as "one of the most dramatic exhibitions to be held at GOMA" and the photos seemed ethereal, so I was happy that my nieces saw it as an acceptable baby-sitting day out. Of the 4 exhibits, two were totally engaging, stunning and quizzical. The commonality was in 99 lifelike animals - they were so convincing that I had seriously wondered if they were taxidermied, but was relieved to find out eventually, from the local cafe assistant, that it was all manufactured! The centrepiece, Heritage 2013, which has been acquired for the Gallery's Collection, features 99 different animals from around the world, meeting to drink from a blue Moreton Bay island lake surrounded by pristine white sand. We had so much fun identifying and describing the animals - it was truly magical to see giraffes by kangaroos, alongside polar bears and lions! It was fun to finally spot the wombats...and it was confusing that some animals were in parent child dyads while others just seemed on their own or with their peers... We all loved it, beyond words.

We walked out of this room, past a large eucalptus tree on its side, with the root bundle mirroring the branches into the second large room, housing Head On 2006, an installation of 99 artificial wolves leaping in a giant elipse, into a glass wall. It spoke to me of the crazy meaningless challenges we all engage in everyday, for so little real benefit. But I think my nieces enjoyed being close to wild wolves and loved working out how they suspended them in mid air and in the contorted falling positions, which was a real artistic feat. Finally, we all enjoyed being creative in the children's activity room, rumoured to be one of the best in the world!

superficial and disappointing...Diana, the movie

Having been impressed by our short meeting, I then devoured stories of Diana, after her untimely death. I read so much and continue to remain unconvinced that it was merely an accident. So I was keen to see the recent film by Oliver Hirschbiegel, based on the earlier book by Kate Snell, Diana: Her Last Love. I also have a strange fascination with Naomi Watts, who on relfection played Diana, quite convincingly. But the story is a strange mix of common history and a fanstastical fairytale. OK, I am happy that she did find meaningful love in her relationship with the Pakistani heart surgeon, Hasnat Khan, and I can imagine that he did inspire her to better understand healthcare and work for disadvantaged children. But I am unconvinced of the simple cultural mis alignment portrayed by his family, and am impressed that even the Daily Mail calls the film a betrayal of their relationship! Whatever the truth, it seems that Diana's relationship with Dodi was a total rebound, and perhaps that has been played out by Dodi's father.

Blue Jasmine - a long haul opportunity

So it was possible to enjoy Woody Allen's recent film, Blue Jasmine and its original inspiration, A Streetcar named Desire, on the same longhaul flight - and the fact that this happened on an unrecognised Christmas day flight on an Emirates A380 seemed almost destined! I have never been a fan of Woody's angst ridden films, but I seem to be attracted to his indulgences of human frailty. I had been recommended Blue Jasmine by sane and sensible friends and I am a big fan of Cate Blanchett, so it was not a difficult decision from the hundreds of possible movies. At its most basic, the single line review "A New York housewife struggles through a life crisis" is totally accurate...and then she moves to San Francisco, to live with her adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) above a Mexican café. Cate plays Blanche DuBois,and oscillates between neurotic, psychotic and totally out there - most often quite believably. Somehow, the roller coaster ride was more manageable on the small screen, but I do wish Woody could intersperse a geuinely hopefully positive ending in some future movie.